Reflections Pt. 7

Guys, I was planning on highlighting Harry's thoughts for the next few chapters as well. But since you were eager to dive into the real story, I have combined all those chapters into this one. 

This chapter is long around 8,000 words. You can read this to get a better understanding or you can skip to the next where the real story starts. 

See yaaa...

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In his things, they'd found his journal where, in his own unique shorthand, he'd recorded what he saw happening around the school and who he was following as well as why and where the subject had led him to date. He hadn't used the person's name though he'd made it clear why he found her behavior suspicious and why he'd decided to follow her. He hadn't given a real description but he'd referred to her as a female more than a few times and a few of his entries described her as being a red head in his own house and year.

Nor was it possible he was being fooled by a potion since sometimes he'd followed her for hours. They had all their classes together. Which meant all their meals and free time were together also. He would've noticed if she was drinking something each hour and, given this was Colin they were talking about, there would've been a notation in the notebook about it. Because eleven year old children don't drink something once an hour, every hour, all day long.

And while Colin wouldn't have known what such an action might mean, others would when they read it in his notations. Yet he hadn't written any such thing. Which meant it really was a redheaded girl in his tower and year he was following.

But the information recorded by him in his notebook was enough to tell any thinking person who he was following since there was only one first year Gryffindor girl with red hair. Ginerva Weasely.

Yet no one had bothered to act on the information Colin had left behind. Because Dumbledore's game wasn't yet played out to it's natural conclusion.

And Dumbledore didn't want Harry reinstated into Gryffindor Tower. Harry hadn't exposed the fraud he'd hired for what he was and he had in no way risked his life doing some random hero thing to save something or someone from something nasty. Yes, he'd given the Headmaster something by which he could coerce Harry into doing as he chose, but considering Harry was only twelve and Draco's injury was neither serious nor permanent, that wasn't really enough to control all his actions and behavior forever. Which is what the Headmaster was after. Total control of Harry. Forever.

The night Colin had died, he had taken her picture as she had opened the way into the Chamber of Secrets to reveal the Basilisk that was the cause of the misery that year. In shock, Colin had dropped his still clicking camera but failed to close his eyes. His horrified stare met that of the crazed basilisk and nature took it's course.

olin died. After the attack, the Headmaster claimed something about the basilisk ruined the film in Colin's camera so that when it was developed all they had to prove Harry wasn't the murderer was a fuzzy out of focus photo that showed a long free flowing fall of red hair standing in front of what looked to be a huge snake.

Hindsight said that was most probably a lie since Colin had actually dropped the camera before meeting the eyes of the basilisk. Therefore, the snake had nothing to do with the ruined film. But for the students, the fact the picture showed it was a snake attacking and now killing the students was all the proof they needed. Harry could talk to snakes and no one else they knew could.

Still, the image of red hair was enough for some of the lower level students to stop harassing Harry. Mostly the muggleborn or bred surprisingly enough.

Because to their way of thinking, the picture showed quite clearly the dangerous person wasn't Harry because he didn't have red hair and if they hadn't known Harry could speak to snakes until he did it in the Great Hall, who was to say there wasn't someone else who could also speak to them but was hiding the ability.

Naturally, this proof wasn't enough for Ron, who'd openly turned on Harry after the incident in the Potions class where Draco Malfoy had gotten hurt. Or the older students who knew of ways in which a skilled wizard could change their appearance to make them appear to be someone else. Never mind that Harry was only a twelve year old muggle raised boy and so didn't share the same knowledge base as themselves.

And of course it wasn't enough to get Harry moved back into the Tower or back on the Quiditch team since Dumbledore wanted Harry isolated and alone. He wanted Harry to believe it was only through himself Harry could have anything resembling a normal life and Harry hadn't come to him asking to be moved back into the tower.

Dumbledore really had no idea how very used to being isolated and alone Harry truly was after growing up in the Dursley household or he'd have known Harry had no idea he was waiting for him to come begging to be released from his punishment.

Ron, being the idiot he was, claimed Harry was trying to pin the blame on his family because he was angry with Ron.

He claimed it was only because he was being so vocal in denouncing Harry and trying to get him removed from the roster as a student at Hogwarts that Harry had taken on the appearance of a red headed girl. Because everybody knew Ron's sister was a red head. And just because the person in that shot was clearly a small person didn't mean it wasn't Harry since everyone knew he was easily the smallest second year in the school.

In fact, he was smaller than a lot of the first years. Ron let it be known to everyone Harry was only trying to pin his guilt on the Weasely family because Ron was no longer buying his innocent act. He had started the slogan, which Malfoy had picked up and turned into lapel pins, that announced it was time to 'Flush the Potter'.

And really if nothing else, that event alone should have told Harry Ron wasn't really his friend. It wasn't like the Weasely children were the only redheads in the school and red hair was the only thing clear about the picture they had recovered. Susan Bones over in Hufflepuff also had red hair. And though Colin's notebook had clearly specified the one opening the chamber was female and in his year, which Ron clearly wasn't, that information had been hushed up by the staff.

So no one knew who Colin had fingered. Yet even without the knowledge of what was written in Colin's book, his claim that Harry had disguised himself with red hair to pin his crime on Ron didn't hold water. Harry was on restricted school access and under heavy guard provided by the staff whenever he was allowed in the halls. Nor could he leave his room without said member of staff to act as his escort.

The door guard didn't answer to him. Only to the staff. He didn't have the freedom to wander as all the other students did. It didn't matter. Everyone believed Ron. Which meant the students believed the staff was allowing him to endanger them.

Because they wanted to. He knew that now. The wizarding people just didn't like to think for themselves so long as they could find someone else who was willing to do it for them. So long as what was said made sense.

Even if you had to go a long way around to figure it out. Never think for yourself if you don't have to should have been the Wizarding World's motto. And while they liked the idea of heros, they didn't really want a real live person to be said hero. So they would always jump to believe anything negative about anyone given that title even as they themselves believed said person was a hero.

Yet Harry hadn't given the denouncement any further thought as to the reason behind it. Hindsight showed Ron had to have at least suspected his sister was the one letting the monster loose in the school. Yet he had said nothing. Now Harry half-heartedly wished he had allowed Aragog's children to eat the brat when they had made it clear they wished to.

But at the time he'd still thought of Ron as his friend. Nor had he wondered just how it was that every time Ron and Hermione wanted him to do things with them, he was allowed out of his rooms to engage in that activity. Without the staff playing chaperone over them all. And some of it was clearly against the rules given to him by the staff when he was placed into the room. In fact, most of it was.

And at the end of the year, when even Dumbledore was ready to close the school due to the disappearance of Ginerva Weasely and the clear and present danger to all the students in the Castle, Ron had made his feelings very clear by trying to personally kill Harry.

Ron had come and dragged Harry out of his room, showing Harry he had the password to the room though Harry had never given it to him and forced Harry, along with Lockhart, into the tunnel leading to the Chambers to rescue the stupid girl before she died, claiming they couldn't just leave her there if there was any chance she was still alive.

Harry had never lied to himself about the events of that day or what the possible outcome could have been. His entire childhood had taught him all too well how to recognize when someone meant him harm.

Even when he wanted to believe the person trying to do him harm didn't mean it, his mind would always recognize their actions against him for what they were. Harmful. He knew Ron hadn't cared one bit about the danger Harry was in.

All he cared about was forcing Harry to rescue his stupid sister and live up to the myth surrounding his life. Hell, he hadn't really even cared if his sister survived the day or not. For Ron, the whole thing had only been about him and how he could use it to puff himself up.

If Harry died, oh well. Ron would spend the rest of his life talking about the days when he had been the Best Friend of the Boy-Who-Lived-and-Died trying to rescue a helpless damsel in distress. He'd never acknowledge Harry had only died because he was unprepared to meet the challenge Ron had forced him into facing. It was doubtful Ron would even admit the girl who'd needed rescuing was his own sister as that would more than likely mean Ron would have to share attention with her. Even if Harry's death in trying to rescue her almost guaranteed her death at the scene as well.

Nor was it at all likely that, once the young Tom Riddle had drained her life force, he would've allowed Ronald Weasely to live to tell the tale. After all, according to Voldemort, Ronald Weasely and all of his family were Blood Traitors and deserved to die. Added to that, Voldemort would've realized Ronald had betrayed Harry, his supposedly best mate.

Had always betrayed Harry while lying to him claiming to be his friend. Because Ginerva Molly Weasely had been writing to him and telling him everything all year long. And Voldemort didn't take betrayal lightly. Even when it was betrayal of his self-appointed enemy. Ron's own actions into forcing Harry into that situation would've declared him to Voldemort as the worst blood traitor of them all. He would've killed Ron without hesitation before leaving the Chamber to wreak havoc on the world.

And Harry had almost died that day. Sometimes, he almost wished he had. Then at least all this would be over. He'd be back with his parents and maybe no one else would've died needlessly to feed an old man's power driven ego.

He'd come so close. Because he'd been bitten by the basilisk even as he'd slain it. He'd pulled the fang from his arm and saw the blood pouring from the wound. Blood that had streaks of black and green in it.

Poison and dead cells. Still he'd found the strength to stab the diary Ginerva had so foolishly spent the year writing in. That action killed the shade before it could finish stealing Ginerva's life force. So he'd already saved her life and done his task for the year. And he was dying. Of that he had no doubts. Even as she was waking from her stupor.

Sitting here on his rock in the Dursley backyard, Harry couldn't help but wonder how many more people that girl would grow up to endanger and kill before she was stopped. Because even back then he'd known she had no regard for the lives she'd endangered through her stupidity. Not even his.

Basilisk poison kills universally. It doesn't discriminate. If not for Fawkes, the Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor, he knew he'd never have left that chamber and neither would Ginny. Both of them would've lain in the central chamber forever until their bones turned to dust and blew away. For that matter, given how very stupid and lazy Ron was, there was a very good chance he too would've died in the tunnels if Fawkes hadn't come to aid Harry. Professor Lockhart certainly was no help seeing as how he couldn't even remember his own name after he tried to obliviate both Ron and Harry of their memories with Ron's broken wand, causing a landslide and ending up obliviating himself instead.

Sitting here, on his rock, looking back into the past, Harry couldn't help but feel he had done the world a disservice in not refusing Fawkes aid that day. But as much as a part of him longed to go home to his Mum and Dad, the larger part of him hadn't been ready to die yet. He was only twelve years old and at the time he'd still had hope that one day he'd find something good about this thing called life. Something that would make his existence mean something.

But Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix familiar, had come, to Harry's mental call, bringing both the Hat and the Sword. The fiery bird had stayed to help Harry fight the overgrown Snake and tried to rouse Ginny from the stupor she'd fallen into while Harry had battled the maddened, enraged beast. The Hat had provided the sword and tried to give Harry instruction on how to use it. But the sword was as big as Harry and he'd never even tried to use one before. So those instructions weren't a great deal of help.

In the end, it was Fawkes and Harry who'd saved the red headed girl though once again Dumbledore had tried to claim a life debt against Harry since Fawkes was supposedly his familiar. Again, Harry refused to accept the obligation since he knew no debt had been incurred. At least, not between Harry and the Headmaster anyway. Once again the Headmaster hadn't in any manner endangered himself in securing Harry's life. Just because Fawkes had come to Harry's mental call for aid and brought the sorting hat with him, didn't mean Dumbledore had either been in mortal peril or even authorized the aid.

Both Fawkes and the Sorting Hat had specifically told Harry they came to his aid because they heard his plea for help. Dumbledore hadn't had anything to do with it. Fawkes and the Sorting Hat both had an agreement with Hogwarts itself to aid in the protection of any and all students while they remained inside the Castle or on the Castle grounds. And accessible to the masses or not, the Chamber was within the Castle and Harry was a student. Both Hat and Bird had heard Harry's call because the Castle had heard it and sent it to them so he could receive the help he needed. Nor had either Fawkes or Dumbledore been in mortal peril during the time Fawkes had rendered Harry his aid.

Ron had spent the remaining weeks of school bragging to everyone about his part in the rescue, exaggerating and embellishing the story every time he told it. By the time the year ended you'd have thought he was the one who had done all the hard work since clearing that hole in the rockfall had featured largely in why they had all made it out of the Chamber. He'd even tried to claim his own life debt against Harry since he claimed they would have died without him clearing a hole in the landslide. He spent a lot of time pretending to fawn over both his sister and Harry so as to convince everyone of what a great guy he was. Because for Ron it was all about him.

But Harry had noticed, not once had he apologized for any of the grief he had caused Harry that year. Not once had he apologized for shoving him in the back to force him into the Chamber entrance or for the bruise on Harry's back that confirmed the very physical backstab he'd received from him. Not once had he recanted any of his former statements about Harry's disposition or personality. Not for giving Harry a firecracker to use as a distraction or even encouraging to the point of harassment Harry to throw it in a specific cauldron or for letting Harry take the fall for all of them alone. Not for turning his back on Harry or accusing him of trying to frame his family for his own bad acts. Not even for that damn pin he still had in his possession. No, Ron hadn't apologized at all. Not for anything.

And contrary to what Ron believed, Harry hadn't forgiven him for any of it. Not one single second of it. Nor had he forgotten it as Ron supposed he had. As Dumbledore had told everyone Harry would. But Harry had along ago learned for forgiveness to mean anything it must be asked for as in the asking, one shows one knows one has done wrong. Forgiveness granted when it's not asked for only means the act needing forgiveness will occur again and again. So no. Harry hadn't forgotten. And he hadn't forgiven.

The truth was Dumbledore didn't know Harry Potter any better than anyone else did. Which explained why he was always trying to claim a life debt. And preaching to Harry about the value of forgiving others every wrong against him. No matter what, Dumbledore wanted a permanent means by which to control every facet of Harry's life. And to that point, all he had was a twelve year old throwing a firecracker during a Potions class. The usefulness of that bad act would wear out one day. Especially since everyone and their brother knew Harry had already apologized to Draco twice for the incident and been refused forgiveness.

Just as he controlled Professor Snape's. The tattoo on Snape's arm and his feelings for Harry's dead Mum were the control agent the old man used to keep the bitter man under his thumb. But the day would come when neither of those two things would work any more and the dark man would break free. Probably on the same day Harry came of age as a matter of fact. Somehow, Harry had a feeling Dumbledore would not like it when that happened. Because Snape was the type to hold a grudge for a very long time. And Dumbledore had wracked up a lot of grudges for Snape to hold onto. He was the type of man to keep a list of every single offence against him personally and make certain that said offender paid for each strike. And if you acted against him or offended him in some manner, you'd regret it long before he let go of his grudge against you. His treatment of Harry was proof of how very long Professor Snape could hold a grudge.

Hermione had been one of the last victims found petrified in the hallway outside the abandoned bathroom. She had the scrap of parchment clutched tightly in her hand at the time and Harry had assumed she'd been coming to find him after discovering what the monster was and how it was getting around the school. She probably was but not from the library as he'd assumed at the time. More like from Dumbledore's office. But that was why her life debt to him had been confirmed. Because once again he'd slain the monster that had threatened her and placed her in deadly peril. Alone, Harry knew the incident wasn't enough to have forged a bond at all. But added to saving her from the troll in their first year, it was. So Harry left his second Hogwarts year with a new scar and two life debts owed to him.

...

Once again Harry had visited Diagon Alley during the summer to obtain books he didn't already have so as to better sort out in his mind the events of his second school year. Vernon hadn't liked driving him into the city because that meant he wasn't at the house doing the chores his family didn't like to do. But Petunia had told him to take him. So he had. No more than once a week. But still, Harry got to go. And just like in his first summer, Petunia made sure he had enough free time to actually read the books he purchased. Why she let him, Harry didn't know and really couldn't care. He was just grateful she did. But to her mind, if Harry had new books to read during his downtime, then he was in his room and away from her family. Dudley, who wasn't allowed to bother Harry in his room, wasn't looking to torment him to relieve his boredom and the neighbors weren't gossiping about her family.

This time the books were on potions and the magical creatures of the Wizarding World, their weaknesses and how each can be most easily identified by what they leave behind and law books covering the laws that allowed the Ministry or Hogwarts to rescind someone's wand rights and/or snap their wand. He wanted to look up that potion Hermione claimed to have read about and learn more about the art of making potions period. It was clear to him he'd never learn anything by waiting for Professor Snape to actually teach him. So he bought several books on the subject to learn what he could on his own.

The incidents with first the spiders and then the basilisk had made him realize he didn't know enough about the creatures of the magical world. And that lack of knowledge could spell the end of his life. Although he knew there was nothing he could do about it now he believed if he had known what the fleeing spiders and petrified victims had meant to begin with, he might have stood a better chance at defeating the Great Beast. Certainly he wouldn't have followed the fleeing spiders to Aragog's nest. Regardless of what Hagrid had told them.

He had also spent a great deal of money buying magical study books for Hagrid and arranging for the half-giant to get a new replacement wand since it was very clear to him, Hagrid had only been a convenient scapegoat used by the gang leaders fighting their turf war for control of the local playground. While Hagrid would have to keep his new wand hidden just as he had hidden his broken wand, he did deserve to have it and to learn all the magic tricks other witches and wizard could perform. Hagrid had been very grateful and had sent Harry the class books for his Care of Magical Creatures class which Harry had signed up for as an elective in his third year.

In third year, while Dumbledore had been forced to stop his game, there had still been outside interference in Harry's educational process. This time the interference came from the Ministry supposedly in the interest of keeping Harry safe from an escaped convict. The Ministry sent Dementors to patrol the Castle grounds and keep a watch over all the students. Dementors were monsters used to control the inmates in Azkaban, the wizarding prison. Unfortunately, the dementors were drawn to Harry and he had a definite weakness to them that no one could explain. Or at least, no one would explain. Luckily, thanks to the Headmaster forcing him to remain in lockdown when not in classes or the Great Hall for meals, Harry didn't have much actual contact with them.

Because of this Ministry Protection, the Headmaster decided to add his own layer of protection for Harry. He'd refused Minerva's request for Harry to be moved back into the tower with his year mates. Now that Harry was a hero to the school again, she'd wanted him back in his dorm. Dumbledore didn't. And what Dumbledore wanted, Dumbledore got.

So Harry remained in the isolation room. Nor was Harry allowed to freely wander the halls or grounds between classes as the other students were. Harry was still in the rooms he had been given during his second year. And he was still being escorted any time he was out of his rooms. He also had a new stalker. Only this stalker was a simpering fool of a girl instead of a budding paparazzi.

Somehow Ron and Hermione, with a fawning, simpering and adoring Ginerva, had gotten permission to walk with him in the halls between classes. All three had made it a point to tell Harry they forgave him for everything from the previous year and still considered him to be their friend. Which was really ludicrous coming from Ginerva as she and Harry had never been friends at all and she was the reason for everything that had occurred during his second year. Yet she forgave him! For what?

Harry couldn't stand the redheaded girl but after hinting at that once and receiving a very sound lecture from both Ronald and Hermione, he'd never said a word against the stupid girl again. Or to her for that matter. He ignored her completely. Even when she spoke to him. Or insisted on trying to hang off his arm like a limpet. She even tried to hold his hand a few times. But he grew adept at switching which hand he was using to carry his bookbag so she couldn't stake a claim to him as she wished. He wanted nothing to do with her which only got him more lectures from Hermione and Ron who were determined to make him accept her.

Hermione had told him he should be more accepting of others and allow them to get to know him as a means of demolishing his perceived image. It was rather tarnished after the thing with Draco last year she'd reminded him. Which he needed to apologize for since there was no reason to actually injure him. Ginny, she said, was very popular with her age group and could carry the truth about him to her classmates. And contact with Harry personally would help her realize he was just a normal boy like all the others. Harry personally thought her age group were fools if they really liked and trusted her considering she'd already killed one of their number. Nor would he be apologizing again when he already had twice and been rejected both times.

Ronald claimed Harry was only angry with her over something that wasn't her fault and could've happened to anyone which was true to a degree. He berated Harry for repaying his friendship by trying to make Ron choose between Harry and his sister, though Harry wasn't doing any such thing. Once again he tried to play the life debt card to force Harry into accepting Ginny into his circle. Then capped it all off by saying Harry should be grateful Ginny thought she liked him as she was a girl of high station and could have any boy she wanted when she grew up. But she believed she wanted him. So he should be grateful and accept while she wanted to be with him.

Both of them claimed Harry needed to forgive her since she'd only been a child and hadn't had any way to know the nature of that cursed diary. Which Harry thought was utter bull given what her father and oldest brother made their lives doing. Besides which, both claimed there had never been any danger to Harry personally in saving her. They both openly claimed she'd been the one in actual danger. Not him. And if she was willing to forgive Harry for the danger she'd been in, then the least he could do was accept her offer of companionship. Nor would they hear anything Harry said to disagree with them about the matter. Not even the mentioning of Colin's name had made them retract that foolish statement. Dumbledore had told them the basilisk had only been a common variety snake and not even a poisonous one. Since Hermione believed she knew there were no poisonous snakes in Britain, she believed him and convinced both Ron and Ginny the Headmaster was right. So in their eyes, Harry had never been in danger of dying as Ginerva had been from the diary shade.

Neither paused to wonder how then Harry had destroyed said diary with a fang of a basilisk if said creature was only a common variety non-poisonous snake. Or how Colin had died from making eye contact with it if the snake was merely a harmless little gardener snake. Or how his scar on his arm was so large if the snake had been so very small. Just like neither of them bothered to remember Dumbledore hadn't actually been present in the Chamber and had even gone so far as to deny all year long that he knew the location of said Chamber. Let alone who was opening it or letting the Creature into the halls of the school to terrorize the student body. So how then had he known what kind of a snake Harry had come up against? But then they worshiped at the Altar of Dumbledore and his word was unquestionable to them.

Dumbledore had also hired Remus Lupin to be the instructor for the Dark Arts course since once again the school had lost their teacher in that subject before the former year was over. At least, Harry hadn't killed Lockhart. Indeed, he hadn't done anything at all to the fraud. Nor was it in any manner his fault the Fraud had been dragged into the end of the year conflict. Ron had selected him as the go-to teacher. Not Harry. Harry wouldn't have chosen such a useless fop to drag along if he'd had his choice in the matter. Of course, given Harry's feelings about the teaching population at the school and the fact he hadn't even wished to take part in the fiasco, Harry wouldn't actually have taken any of the staff down there with him and Ronald knew it. But Dumbledore had wanted the Fraud to be part of the end of the year event so Ron had made sure to grab him before getting Harry from his room. Harry could only wonder if this teacher would last the year and if not how would his contract be brought to an end.

Remus was a good teacher who taught at both a pace and a level his students could understand and enjoy while still learning. What Harry hadn't known until almost the end of the year was the connection between his father, Remus Lupin and the escaped convict who was supposedly out to finish the job he had begun twelve years earlier on the night Lord Voldemort had attacked the Potter family.

Of course, the only reason he found out was because Sirius Black got impatient and attacked Ron on their way back to the Castle from Hagrid's cabin where they had gone at Hermione's insistence, to comfort Hagrid due to the upcoming execution of his semi-pet, Buckbeak. Hagrid had picked up Scabbers, Ron's rat, earlier that day when he had found it scavenging in the Forest and brought it back to his cabin. He'd checked the rat over and fed it but wanted to keep it under observation for a day since it wasn't looking too good to Hagrid's animal loving gaze before sending a message to Ron telling him he had something that belonged to him.

As they were walking back to the castle, Sirius, in his Grim form, had attacked Ron trying to pry the rat out of Ron's grip. Ron refused to let it go so Sirius had dragged the bellowing boy by a pant leg and his robes into the shelter of the Whomping Willow so he could transform and try to convince Ron to give him the rat. Harry, who still hadn't managed to convince himself Ronald really wasn't his friend, and Hermione had chased after the pair. Both of them were determined to stop any harm from befalling Ron. Once again, Harry had gotten drawn into risking his own neck over an endangered student. Upon seeing Sirius facing Ron in that room, Harry had given Hermione a scathing look which she either didn't see or chose to ignore because she was focused on Ron. But he knew the only reason he had to deal with this was because she'd insisted on comforting Hagrid in his hour of need and dragging Harry and Ron alone for the ride.

Remus Lupin claimed he had heard the ruckus and came running in a few seconds after Sirius regained his human form so he could talk to the three teens. The day after the event, while he was supposed to be on lockdown in the infirmary, Harry had been spying on Dumbledore's office via the use of his special cloak. He discovered Dumbledore called Remus up there for a full report on what had occurred. Harry knew it was mainly to see if there was anything he could hold against Harry in the future though there was a possibility that Remus was unaware of that. Remus had used the Marauders Map to see Sirius and Peter were with Harry, Ron and Hermione and that was why he had shown up when he did. Hearing that, Harry had snuck down to his rooms and stolen back his map because there was no way he'd let that fall into the Headmaster's hands.

But when Lupin had shown up in the quarters under the Willow, Harry hadn't known any of that. Chaos had ensued until Harry, who's head was spinning from the volume of noise he wasn't at all used to any more, bellowed for quiet. Then one by one he had Sirius, Ron and Remus tell their stories. Hermione, for once, had remained quiet just observing as Harry listened to each of the others.

In the end, all four of the other people in the room were looking to Harry for a decision as to how things would play out. Would he believe Ron that Scabbers was really just a normal rat? Would he believe Sirius that Scabbers was the true betrayer of the Potter family that Halloween night? Or would he believe Remus that Sirius had betrayed James, Lily and Harry himself before chasing after Peter and killing him as well? And was now taking the opportunity to try and add Harry to his kill list.

Harry decided there was a sure fire way to prove who was telling the truth and that was by letting Remus and Sirius try to break any animagus spell they claimed was on the rat if it really was Peter. If it broke, then Sirius was telling the truth provided the person the rat became turned out to be the long thought deceased Peter Pettigrew. If it didn't break though. Then it seemed Sirius had a problem with rats and Remus would take him out to meet a Ministry official for the carrying out of his sentence. Naturally, Ronald was angry that Harry hadn't just automatically taken his side because in his eyes this proved Harry wasn't as loyal to Ron as Ron pretended to be to Harry.

They had just found Sirius was telling the truth when Professor Snape, the teacher who hated everything Potter, (which was how Harry knew for certain the man not only could but would hold a grudge for every wrong done him whether real or imagined), came barging into the room sneering, snarling and foaming at the mouth about how he had them dead to rights this time and this time he'd see to it they all paid. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to make excuses for them this time and he'd finally succeed in getting Harry bloody Potter expelled for all his sins. There would be no more children harassed and bullied or hurt by a Potter in Hogwarts. In addition, he'd see justice served against Sirius Black. And Lupin as well since it was clear Lupin had been in touch with the fugitive. Sirius Black would die by dementors kiss before the night was out if he had any say in things and since he had them at wand point clearly he did have a say in things.

For the first time in his life, Harry could honestly say he got angry. Not just a little angry but really angry. Not only was he sick and tired of dealing with the man's rabid insistence that Harry was some kind of evil person he owed it to the world to suppress by being a first rate, abusive arsehole but he was frustrated that it always seemed to come down to him to be the damned adult while the real adults acted like the spoilt little brat they so often accused him of being. He was sick and tired of always being the one to have to save the blasted day. It was more than clear to Harry that the Potions Professor wasn't listening to a word that was being said or paying the slightest bit of attention to what was going on in the room. All he saw was a way to get revenge against those he hated beyond measure and who cared what the truth was.

Peter Pettigrew was the first to realize Harry's temper had snapped. He'd stopped begging for mercy during Snape's gloating and begun staring at Harry with wide fearful eyes. Lupin, Hermione and Ron were also staring at Harry with wide -eyes while Sirius was carefully moving away from them all. All of them seemed to be very aware of exactly how angry the repressed boy was. Peter stood stock still not even daring to whimper lest it fix the angry boy's attention on himself. His mouth was moving but not a sound escaped. He was forming the word Lily over and over again because in that moment in time, Harry Potter proved once and for all he was more his mother's son than his father's.

Naturally, Harry lashed out at Snape unconsciously putting three years worth of pent-up anger and resentment into the spell he unleashed in his direction. He'd completely forgotten his wand was in his hand but it wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't. When angry, Harry Potter was a force to be reckoned with and only a fool wanted to get him angry. He only hit the teacher with an expelliarmus to disarm him but because he was angry over the whole mess, his magic overwhelmed the poor man and succeeded in knocking him out cold. And Snape never knew what hit him at all. He was so focused on the Marauders he never realized he had finally goaded Harry into losing his temper.

Hermione's jaw had dropped at the sheer power evident in that single spell. The spell beam was so wide and clear she could actually see it. She just stood there staring at Harry with wide unseeing eyes as she struggled to comprehend it.

Remus had gulped, quietly murmuring, "Just like Lily. Just like Lily." as he moved back to stand next to Sirius who was whimpering quietly while muttering, "Danger Will Robinson. Danger," over and over again.

Ron simply grinned because once again Harry had slammed a Slytherin and Ron hated all Slytherins.

But Peter was a different story. In the chaos that followed, Peter saw his chance for freedom and took it, reverting back to his animagus form as he ran to better enable his escape. At that moment he was more afraid of Harry than he ever had been of the Dark Lord. Reality was, there was no way he was willing to take the chance that Harry would turn his awesome power on the true betrayer of his family now that he had incapacitated Snape. Pettigrew was a coward. Plain and simple. But even he had known in that one perfect second he truly deserved Harry's anger and righteous revenge. Which Harry was more than capable of delivering.

His escape had snapped Sirius out of his awed terror. Roaring in outrage, Sirius tore off after him, determined not to let him get away again. Which snapped Remus back to awareness. Remus ran after Sirius, just as determined not to allow any harm to befall Sirius now that he knew his friend was innocent of the charges against him.

Ronald had torn off after all three of them, determined to rescue his pet and show Scabbers even if he was a deranged murderer he could still have a home with him if he wanted it. Harry and Hermione had taken off after Ron, determined to talk some sense into the redhead before he got caught up in a fight twelve years in the making.

Harry had paused just long enough to taken possession of his family heirloom as he didn't trust Snape to return it to him voluntarily. He knew the man would keep it as some sort of prize for all he believed Potter men had done to him during his life. As was his habit long ago learned living with the Dursley family, not even Hermione had seen him secrete the cloak on his person.

But once they stepped outside under the light of the full moon, another problem became immediately clear to all three of the teenagers and it was here that Harry would finally begin learn of Hermione's duplicity over the course of the year. Her own actions added to the words she'd use in a few more hours would tell him everything he needed to know but had refused to see about his brainiac friend.

Severus Snape had told the truth about one thing at least. Remus Lupin had proven to be highly irresponsible. He'd neglected to take his potion and as a result, he lost control over his mind when he transformed into his werewolf state. The werewolf he became once a month was in control and that werewolf wanted blood. Fresh human blood preferably. Powerful human blood. And Harry fit the bill perfectly.

At the time, Harry had failed to see how Hermione wasn't as surprised by this transformation as she should've been for a muggleborn and raised girl and was actively using Harry for her own protection as was Ronald. As if either of them could realistically shelter effectively behind a boy who was smaller in body mass and height than either of them.

But once again Professor Snape saved Harry's life when the werewolf turned on him. And there was no doubt in Harry's mind Lupin had turned on Harry personally. The wolf hadn't even noticed anyone else was there as was evidenced by the fact Snape was able to send him reeling with a punch to the jaw gaining enough space to get between Harry and Lupin. Considering werewolves were a hell of a lot stronger than normal people, this said everything that needed to be said about the focus of Lupin's werewolf form. Or maybe just how physically strong Severus Snape was when he was angry and panicking. And he had been panicking.

As much as Snape hated Harry, he apparently didn't want him to die or be turned into some kind of a monster. From the safety of Snape's arms, Harry had looked up and seen the fear and horror in the teacher's black eyes. Horror, he knew had to have been clearly evident in his own eyes and expression as well.

But his mind had finally absorbed all it could handle. Harry was deep in shock and all he could do was stand there clutching his teacher's robes and hoping the protection his teacher offered would be enough to save them. Softly and quietly, he was begging his Mum to do something to save them but he was unaware of it at the time. Snape had later told him he rather thought Lily had heard him and sent Sirius back to distract Lupin. He hadn't even felt it when the man puled him closer and pushed his head into his own chest to break the eye contact. Nor did he realize that eye contact had been the reason Snape had pulled him closer. Because even Snape knew Harry had his mother's eyes and at that close of a range he couldn't hide from them. Even if he'd wanted to.

Ron supposedly had a broken leg from Sirius's attempt to get Scabbers from him. Looking backwards through time, Harry had his doubts about that, since that same supposedly broken leg hadn't prevented the redhead from chasing after the three Marauders at a full run over rough, broken terrain that included stairs needing to be climbed, crawling on hands and knees and edging around partial cave-ins and dangling tree roots before Remus turned into the werewolf. Harry and Hermione, who both had healthy unbroken limbs, hadn't managed to catch up to him until they emerged from under the Whomping Willow where werewolf Remus was waiting for them.

If his leg had truly been broken there was no way he could've made that trip without Harry, who was very small, nimble and fleet of foot regardless of the involved terrain, catching up to him before then. Harry had suffered more than a few broken bones in his lifetime and he knew damn well one did not run on a broken leg if one didn't need to. And chasing something after your pet rat wasn't reason enough to run on a broken leg no matter how poor your family was. Or how possessive you were about things you claimed as belonging to yourself.

Hermione was supposedly just as deeply shocked as Harry. And maybe that was actually the truth. After all, knowing in your head something was true wasn't quite the same thing as coming face to face with it. Like Harry, she was muggle raised and for muggles, werewolves, vampires and other creatures of the night belonged in horror picture shows. Mostly B rated ones. Yet here they were being presented with a real live werewolf up close and personal with no director to yell "Cut" when he got to the point of biting one of them. Neither of them could think of what to do to save themselves. Harry was just too unable to handle any more shocks at that time to notice Hermione wasn't quite as shocked as she should've been. Nor had she been watching Lupin. Instead, she had glued her sights on Harry and was observing his reaction to Lupin's transformation. There was a measure of glee in her expression but Harry was in no state at the time to notice it.

As much as Severus Snape hated Harry Potter, he'd never once mentioned that moment of weakness during the days that had followed the event. Or how he had folded his own arms around the boy drawing him closer still and smothering the distressed sounds Harry was making as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Nor had he ever commented on the low voiced humming he was doing to try and calm Harry down. Nor had he ever mentioned his ruined robes and the two sets of five very obvious claw made rips in the black fabric gained when Lupin had grabbed onto them preparing to rip him away from Harry.

Sirius had abandoned the chase for Peter and come roaring back to save his friend from further attacking the children, knowing Remus well enough to know if he hurt any of them he'd never forgive himself even if they did. Which considering they'd either be dead or turned, they probably wouldn't. Together, the Grim Dog and Werewolf took off into the Forbidden Forest to chase each other and hopefully run across the rat Sirius wanted to find more than anything else in the world. Just as they'd done long ago when they themselves had been students walking the Hogwarts Halls.

Harry had no illusions as to the reason Sirius had abandoned the chase of Scabbers to come distract Remus. He never did have any. Even then he'd known Sirius only did so because Remus was his friend and Remus wouldn't have been able to live with himself knowing he'd hurt someone while in his cursed state.

Snape had waited only for the duo to clear the open area before hustling all three teens back towards the Castle and it's relative safety. Due to his supposedly broken leg, Ron had to be carried there via magic but both Harry and Hermione walked there under their own power. Snape kept a tight grip on the back of Harry's neck as if he expected him to go harrying off after the others at any second. He didn't seem to notice Harry was sticking as close as he could to the Potion Master's side, practically trying to hide himself in the billowing material of his robes or that Harry had a death grip on the material of Snape's own billowing robes. But Harry had noticed he didn't touch either Hermione or Ron, choosing to use magic to transport Ron and bark at Hermione to follow them to the safety of the Castle. This was far different from the way he chose to treat Harry since he kept a grip on the neck of his robes insuring Harry didn't wander far from his side. Maybe he'd realize Harry was the only one of the three that actually was in shock and needed the human contact most. Harry didn't know and hadn't asked. Because he didn't care. Then or now.

All three teens spent the night in the infirmary. Ronald was treated for his supposedly broken leg and given a sleeping potion when Madam Pomfrey got tired of his loud, angry accusations against Harry. It was very clear Ron blamed Harry for the loss of his pet, Scabbers. He claimed Harry hadn't defended Scabbers as he should've. But instead, had turned his pet over to an escaped convict. An escaped convict who openly admitted he wanted to kill the rat. He was so angry over what he saw as Harry's betrayal, the fact that their defense teacher was apparently a monster in human skin took a backseat to everything else. And he was determined to wring an apology from Harry for failing to be a real friend to him. He wouldn't get it.

Hermione was treated, like Harry, for shock and allowed to fall asleep under the effects of a slightly less powerful sleep aid than Ron had been given once she had told the story from her point of view. And it was while he was listening to her tell her story, that Harry had finally come to the conclusion she was no more his friend than Ronald. She told the story succinctly, not sparing anyone in the telling. Her voice was cold and analytical during the rendition of the night but Harry had to admit she had hit all the high points in her telling.

Of course, she made it a point to mention it was Harry and only Harry who had attacked and knocked out Professor Snape. She claimed she told him to knock out Pettigrew and Black as well but he didn't listen to her. Which was a lie since she'd said no such thing. No one bothered to point out she had her wand on her and if she really thought those two should be knocked out there was nothing stopping her from doing it herself. They weren't on staff here and didn't have permission to be on the grounds.

She also neglected to mention the only reason they were outside of the Castle after hours was because she had bullied the boys into visiting Hagrid to sit the vigil with him over Buckbeak who was to be executed that evening. Rather, she allowed her listeners to draw the conclusion that Harry had wished to visit and offer comfort to the grieving half-giant. While not outright lying about the matter, she was freely lying by inference and a cynical part of Harry's mind knew it was only so, if there was to be trouble over the incident, it would be Harry who would be blamed. Not her.

Then it was Harry's turn to be interrogated. And it was an interrogation. There was no other word for it as he was asked the same questions over and over again with slightly different wording to see if he would in any manner change his answers at all. Unlike Hermione though, Harry did make it a point to mention the only reason any of them had been outside the Castle that evening was due to her nagging. Funnily enough even Ronald, who had yet to take his sleep aide had confirmed that statement. Of course, there were the by now expected accusations of blame and the lecture on responsibility and not behaving as a spoilt brat since he'd been told he wasn't supposed to be outside the safety and security of the Castle. Especially after dark. It was strongly implied he had endangered his friends because he was selfishly feeling confined and wanted to rebel. Thanks to Hermione none of his interrogators had listened to him at all.

But Harry felt no guilt for anything that had happened that night. He knew it hadn't been his idea to leave the Castle. Hermione had browbeat him into it, pointing out that Hagrid was supposed to be his friend. One of his only friends. And since something bad was occurring that night involving Hagrid, it was his duty to be with him when he could regardless of his own personal safety. Because that's what friends did. He said as much which was confirmed by her flush of embarrassed anger. Not that it did him any good. None of his accusers so much as twitched a brow in her direction. Instead, Dumbledore had frowned at him with a disappointed air and made a non-committal comment about not trying to shift blame where it didn't belong.

He admitted to following Ron into the rooms under the Whomping Willow to prevent injury from befalling either of his two friends. And he admitted to forcing Ron to allow Professor Lupin and Sirius to use the anti-animagus spell on the rat which had prompted a lecture on respecting and protecting the belongings of others wherever and whenever he had the opportunity to do so. That his intention had been to settle the matter once and for all was lost in the ensuing lecture about property ownership and the duty of friendship. He admitted to hitting Professor Snape with an Expelliarmus spell to disarm him though he insisted he hadn't meant to hurt or knock him out. All he wanted to do was lower the animosity in the room and get the Professor to take in the full situation since he clearly hadn't yet realized there was a supposedly dead man standing there very much alive in the room. Then the Professor could make the decisions.

Madam Pomfrey made the Ministry representative and Dumbledore both leave him alone after twenty minutes of their constant and repetitive questioning. She force fed him a very powerful sleep aid that, unknown to Harry, Severus made specifically for her to give him. She knew well of his trouble with sleeping and his built-up resistance to most the sleep aids on the market. So she had enlisted Severus to make her a better aid for him. Nor had she missed the dead quality of Harry's voice as he told the story from his point of view. A story that hadn't wavered a bit no matter what his interrogators said to try and force it to change. The child needed rest and she was determined to see that he got some.

Snape had raised a brow when he saw which potion she intended to give Potter but she had refused to satisfy his curiosity so long as the others were in the room. Like everyone else in the school, she was well aware of his dislike of everything Potter and how anything the man could hold against him, he gladly taunted the boy with repeatedly. And yet, she was also aware of just how many times Snape had saved the boy's life and fought with Dumbledore over the risks he encouraged the child to take with his personal safety.

Morning light brought the news that all three of the Marauders were dead or as good as dead now. Supposedly their bodies were found tangled together on the shores of Black Lake where apparently they had stood together one last time to fight a common foe but that foe had apparently been stronger than they were. But Harry knew for a fact Remus Lupin was not dead. He had after all, heard him reporting the events of the confrontation between Harry and Sirius. And he couldn't have done that if he had died on the shores of the lake. Not unless he'd come back as a ghost. Which unlike Colin who often kept Harry company in his room when no one was speaking to him, he hadn't.

At the time Harry had believed both Sirius and Peter most likely were dead simply because they had become a liability to Dumbledore now and he had no proof to the contrary. Later he would discover Peter wasn't dead any more than Lupin was. And that would make him wonder about Sirius. After all, if Dumbledore was the source of the rumor, which in this case for Harry he was, it was almost guaranteed to be at least partially untrue. He'd come into the infirmary to personally give Harry the news that his Godfather whom he'd just met the night before was as good as dead along with his two friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. He spun some tripe about how all the Marauders were now together again in Heaven where they'd be watching over him hoping he'd do the right thing when he came to times in his life where choices had to be made and take his rightful blame when he made the wrong choices.

According to school rumor Peter's form showed clear damage from long jagged teeth and nails while Sirius had been given the Kiss by the dementors. The official story was both Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had administered their own justice to Peter for his betrayal of them all those years ago. Sirius' body showed slight bruising and a few shallow cuts though overall he had relatively little clear cut damage suggesting that while Peter got a few licks in he hadn't been able to hurt Sirius enough to effect his freedom. It also suggested the cause of his death was the dementors that were suspiciously missing from their posts around the Castle Grounds.

Harry was allowed to recover in the infirmary and deal with the new deaths away from prying eyes and stupid questions for two days before he was summarily teleported back to Privet Drive early as punishment for his attack against Professor Snape. He wasn't expelled but he had been suspended. And even Harry knew that was because he wouldn't change his story to accept all the blame for each little wrongdoing of the night. Hermione and Ronald had the remaining two weeks of school to make sure everyone knew the story of the night though and how Harry Potter had figured into the mess. No one would ever know he hadn't stayed locked down in the infirmary for those two days. Not even Madam Pomfrey knew he had slipped out to go spy on the old man. Or go steal back his map.